Chuck Park
September Book Report
English 6 & Comp Apps 5
Oct. 6, 2000

How many kids have awaken in a cold sweat from a nightmare that their parents had died and they were left alone? No one to take care of them. No one left to love them. This is the setting for this story which takes place in 20th century Alaska. In Home is the North, Brad Nichos, the central character in the book, lives this nightmare when his parents die and leave him in the care of his grandmother, who then also dies suddenly.

Home is the North, was written by Walt Morey and published by Blue Heron in 1967. The book is 167 pages long.

Brad has a surviving aunt who lives in Seattle. However, Brad’s mother felt the aunt never really caredmuch for Brad, and had wished that upon her untimely death Brad would be taken care of by his grandmother who loved him dearly. Since his grandmother’s recent death, rather than live with his only surviving relative, his aunt, Brad chose to live with his friends Annie, Captain Ed and George in a log cabin fifty miles away from the nearest city, Orca.

Although the log cabin is smaller than Brad is used to, it is very cozy and warm which makes him feel comfortable. The gun rack is right by the door which is convenient since Brad and Annie always bring a gun when running out the trap line. Guns are necessary in trapping in case of an attack by a wolf or bear, or if an animal is still alive in the trap.

In Alaska, the winters are harsh and the summers are mild. The winters are harsh because it snows constantly and the temperatures remain at or below zero degrees and the days are extremely long. Food is scarce in the winter because of the weather and the animals fall prey to the food that is placed on the trap in the trap line. Winter is great for running the trap line because beaver, fox, rabbit and wolverine can be caught and their fur is highly valued because of its warmth and beauty. Brad likes to run his trap line with his dog Mickie and his friend Annie. Brad and Annie set up traps in many different spots. After setting the last trap, they travel back to the first trap to check if any animal has been caught. In the event an animal is caught, they retrieve it and tan the hide and sell the fur. This is how Brad earns money during the winter months.

Summers in Alaska are ideal. The temperatures are mild, rarely reaching over 70 degrees. The tundra comes alive with flowers and vegetation. The wildlife, such as caribou and bears, feed on the grass and berries that grow during the short summer days. This type of weather is most beneficial to the fishers because salmon fishing is very lucrative and it is during these short summer months that the salmon are most abundant. To be productive as possible and make the most of the short days, Brad, Captain Ed and George run out a seine (a type of fishing net designed to catch huge amounts of fish at one time) from sunrise to sunset. This enables them to make a great amount of money in a short amount of time and eventually helps them to pay off their boat the "Annie B."

Brad’s character might appeal to teens because of the relationship he establishes with his friends. They give him a sense of belonging by making him feel at home. They fix dinners, lunches and breakfasts, and let him help around the house. They show him love and support just as a family does.

The main character is 15 year old Brad Nichos. He is a slim, sober boy with a thatch of brown hair and square bony shoulders. His arms are long and thin has gray eyes that are dark with the strain of the past two weeks. Earlier Brad lost his parents to drowning and now his grandmother suddenly dies. Brad is very adept at running out a seine with Captain Ed and George. Brad does have one weakness however, and that is his inability to make decisions. This creates the biggest conflict for Brad in that he has to decide whether he should stay with his friends or go live with his aunt in Seattle. The law requires him to live with his aunt because she is his only living relative. Brad believes his aunt does not care for him and he is sad to think of leaving people whom he knows do love and care for him. Brad’s problem is solved after he talks with his aunt and happily discovers that she actually does love him and wants him to be with her and so he decides to go and live with his aunt. In his heart, Brad believes this is a decision his mother would have been proud of.

Brad learned something very important. He learned that, opposed to what he thought, there were people who loved and wanted him; both his aunt and his friends. I learned that if you are in a difficult emotional situation like Brad, the only thing to do is to follow your heart and hopefully you will discover that you have made the right decision after all.